Arc One: Testing

Awaken with a gasp, the feel of wind still on your face and your gut still sinking. A dream. It was all just a dream. The thought is disappointing. You try not to think of why.

The apartment you've been living in is a bit on the expensive side, but well within the price range where you aren't scrambling to pay rent. Getting a degree in computer science had been a good idea, not that you would ever admit that in front of your parents. Originally, you had wanted to go into graphic design, but they insisted you get something that would make you a steady source of income, and so here you were.

The reason that you had chosen this apartment was that it was well-located, facing away from the busy Manhattan streets and towards the quieter backyard- assuming you were out of bed at a reasonable time of day. A glance out the window shows that the sun isn't out yet. This wasn't a reasonable time. It was a few hours too early.

A voice in the other room reminds you that you aren't home alone. The lack of a second voice tells you that Erica had to be talking on the phone. In all likelihood, it was to someone from her college. She had class early in the morning and woke you up on occasion by being too loud.

It used to happen more often before, but she did her best to quiet down after you talked to her about it. Erica did her best to be considerate, which was good. It was the least she could do given that you were letting her live rent-free.

Exhale. The thought is uncharitable, but you are grumpy when woken up. You'll feel better after a bit more sleep. Turn on your side and pull the pillow over your head, muffling the sound. Close your eyes. As long as Erica didn't walk in, you should be able to get back to sleep.

And then Erica walks into your room. Eyes shoot open. Mouth opens for a rebuke, but then what your brain processes the information your eyes are providing. Stare for a second and then squeak and freeze. Hopefully, Erica will mistake your hard-on for morning wood. While not great, it would still be better than her realizing that it was the sight of her that had done this to you.

You were right- she is getting ready for college. As in, Erica was in the process of getting ready for college. She hadn't put on all her clothes yet. She must have thought that you were asleep and that it wasn't a problem if she came in dressed only in her underwear if you weren't awake to see her.

The only problem is, you are awake to see her in all her glory. You are awake when she stands by the doorway, awake to see her boobs pressed together in a snug white bra. You are awake when she steps into the room, striding past you. Awake to see her full ass. You are awake and that is a problem.

Gawking at Erica costs you a precious few seconds. Think fast. There were two ways you can play this. You can fake sleep and pretend this never happened or you can go on the offensive.

Of the two options, you don't like the first. You had already made a lot of noise especially when you gasped earlier. You also weren't in a very convincing position to pretend to be asleep. You had been holding a pillow over your head to muffle noise. You can't change positions without making more noise and attracting Erica's attention, and you can't stay in this position because if Erica turns, she'll see you and realize you're awake. If you try option one and fail, you'll look like a pervert.

Option two was far more palatable. There was no reason for you to take a risk. It wasn't like you were doing anything wrong. It was Erica that had chosen to walk into your room in her underwear.

Shift your legs to make your boner less noticeable, and then sit-up. "What do you think you're doing in my room? Especially wearing that?" Hide arousal behind outrage. The go-to strategy for Catholic priests.

Rather than the deer in the headline look you expect, Erica ignores you. "Yeah- yeah, don't worry about it," she continues to talk into her phone. "I live by myself. It's no trouble. Feel free to come over anytime."

Was she inviting people to your place without asking you? Arousal was starting to be replaced by genuine irritation. After everything you had done for her, the least that she could do was give you a heads-up when she was inviting people over. Once more, you try to interject. This time you try good humor. "Live alone, huh? Since when?"

Once more, she ignores you. Patience wanes. She continues to talk on her phone. "Mhmm," Erica hums, "Really, it's no trouble. You know, if you need a place to stay long term- if you can't make things better with your parents, I mean- you can always move in with me. The rent is a bit high. I could use a room-mate to split it with."

And that was the last straw. Get out of bed, snatch the phone out of her hand. "Erica, you can't just- first of all, this isn't your apartment. It's mine. You can't just invite your friends to move in. Especially not without talking to me. Secondly, you don't pay rent."

That was when things get even odder. Rather than paying attention to you now that her phone was out of the way, Erica turns her attention to the floor. Her eyes skim over it frantically, looking for her phone. "Erica? Your phones right here," you stick in front of her face, but she continues to search the floor, unable to see it.

Mind flashes back to the crazy dream you had last night. That couldn't be real... could it? What else could explain this?

Your rational mind tells you that the answer is 'plenty.' For starters, she could be on . It would be out of character, but the possibility was there. The only way to be sure would be to test your powers on more people. Glance at the phone. The screen was still open, letting you see the name. 'Anna.'

Lift it to your right ear. "Hey, Anna, right? It's John, Erica's cousin. You wanted to stay over at our place?"

She didn't seem to be able to hear you either. "Erica? You still there?" A few seconds pass and then you hear a low mutter. "She must have hung up." A few beeps told you that Anna had hung up. That was two people that can't register your presence. Drop the phone in front of Erica. Her eyes light up as she grabs it. Can't register your presence, but can register the consequences of your action.

A final test. This could be a prank. There were a few ways to get around this. The first would be to escalate things with Erica. After a certain point, she wouldn't be willing to play along, right? The second would be to go to someone unconnected to this, like your neighbor. The third would be- your thoughts are derailed as you look around.

This isn't your room. It looked like your room, but any sign of you had been erased. Pictures of you were gone, clothes you had haphazardly stacked in a corner were gone, even your trophy case was missing. The room had all the dimensions of your room, but it looked more like-

Glance back at Erica. She was texting Anna.

Look at Erica again. Sure enough, she was tidying up your room- the room that was now a guest room. More than anything else, this convinces you that the dream was real. That you had powers.

Now that you're looking for it, you can feel the information that your powers are feeding Erica. The reason that the bed was messy, for instance, wasn't because someone had slept on it recently. Your power convinces Erica that she hadn't bothered cleaning up after the last time someone had used the guest room. Why would she when it was used so sparsely?

Erica works on the bedsheets, straightening them out. While doing so, she inadvertently leans forward to reach the other end, giving you a good look at her rear. The opportunity you had becomes clear to you.

You were in the same room as your gorgeous younger cousin while she was partially undressed and completely unable to resist your advances. The only question was what do you want to do?

Edited on 10/27/20

Support me on patreon.com/malkuthze